Discovery of Two New Stone Circles on Dartmoor Strengthens ‘Sacred Arc’ Theory

Two newly identified Neolithic stone circles on Dartmoor lend further support to the theory of a “sacred arc” of monuments in the heart of Devon’s rugged uplands.

One of the circles bears striking similarities to Stonehenge, while the other, situated just outside the arc, may have served as a ceremonial gateway for ancient pilgrims.

The discovery is the culmination of decades of research by Alan Endacott, a Devon-based archaeologist and stained-glass artist. In 2007, Endacott uncovered Sittaford, the highest stone circle in southern England, marking the first such find on Dartmoor in over a century and bolstering the sacred arc hypothesis. Undeterred by his earlier success, Endacott continued his quest, which has now yielded two additional sites.

“It’s been wonderful,” Endacott remarked. In September and October, he and a team of volunteers braved Dartmoor’s challenging weather to investigate the sites. “Since Sittaford, I’ve been doing lots of systematic searches. You’ve got to get off the beaten track to find anything new on Dartmoor.”

Metheral Hill Photograph courtesy of Alan Endacott

One of the new sites, named the Metheral Circle after the hill beneath which it lies, consists of 20 mostly fallen stones arranged in a roughly oval shape measuring about 40 by 33 meters. The team also identified traces of an external bank encircling the stones.

“It is suggestive of a Neolithic henge monument of a similar form to the Stripple Stones on Bodmin Moor [in Cornwall], the Ring of Brodgar on Orkney, or even the earlier phase of Stonehenge,” Endacott explained. “People moved long distances in that period, so the people who built the stone circle at Metheral might also have been to Stonehenge and even possibly to Orkney. They travelled quite widely; there were lots of contacts between them with trading and so on.”

Endacott posits that the sacred arc was intended to enclose the high ground at Dartmoor’s centre. “Dartmoor would have been very different then—there would have been a lot more forest cover. Possibly these circles were markers in the landscape, recognizing the higher ground and enclosing it for some reason.”

The second circle, located north of the arc at Irishman’s Wall, occupies a prominent position. Alongside it, the team found a collapsed dolmen, which Endacott has named “the fallen brother dolmen” in memory of Dartmoor residents who died in the world wars.

Though this second circle does not appear to be part of the arc, Endacott speculates it may have served as an entrance from the north. “Maybe it was an entrance point [to the arc],” he suggested.

Endacott, now 66, has been searching for stone circles on Dartmoor since the 1970s and believes other undiscovered sites may complete the ring. “These excavations exceeded my expectations and brought new evidence to light that will help with our understanding, but inevitably they have also raised more questions about why they were built. There are definitely other sites that I want to follow up on. We won’t be stopping any time soon,” he said.

X-Heritage (X Heritage)

Geolocation: 50.63118171831715, -3.931334549270327
Photo Credits:
Alan Endacott

Discovery of Two New Stone Circles on Dartmoor Strengthens ‘Sacred Arc’ Theory

Two newly identified Neolithic stone circles on Dartmoor lend further support to the theory of a “sacred arc” of monuments in the heart of Devon’s rugged uplands.

One of the circles bears striking similarities to Stonehenge, while the other, situated just outside the arc, may have served as a ceremonial gateway for ancient pilgrims.

The discovery is the culmination of decades of research by Alan Endacott, a Devon-based archaeologist and stained-glass artist. In 2007, Endacott uncovered Sittaford, the highest stone circle in southern England, marking the first such find on Dartmoor in over a century and bolstering the sacred arc hypothesis. Undeterred by his earlier success, Endacott continued his quest, which has now yielded two additional sites.

“It’s been wonderful,” Endacott remarked. In September and October, he and a team of volunteers braved Dartmoor’s challenging weather to investigate the sites. “Since Sittaford, I’ve been doing lots of systematic searches. You’ve got to get off the beaten track to find anything new on Dartmoor.”

Metheral Hill Photograph courtesy of Alan Endacott

One of the new sites, named the Metheral Circle after the hill beneath which it lies, consists of 20 mostly fallen stones arranged in a roughly oval shape measuring about 40 by 33 meters. The team also identified traces of an external bank encircling the stones.

“It is suggestive of a Neolithic henge monument of a similar form to the Stripple Stones on Bodmin Moor [in Cornwall], the Ring of Brodgar on Orkney, or even the earlier phase of Stonehenge,” Endacott explained. “People moved long distances in that period, so the people who built the stone circle at Metheral might also have been to Stonehenge and even possibly to Orkney. They travelled quite widely; there were lots of contacts between them with trading and so on.”

Endacott posits that the sacred arc was intended to enclose the high ground at Dartmoor’s centre. “Dartmoor would have been very different then—there would have been a lot more forest cover. Possibly these circles were markers in the landscape, recognizing the higher ground and enclosing it for some reason.”

The second circle, located north of the arc at Irishman’s Wall, occupies a prominent position. Alongside it, the team found a collapsed dolmen, which Endacott has named “the fallen brother dolmen” in memory of Dartmoor residents who died in the world wars.

Though this second circle does not appear to be part of the arc, Endacott speculates it may have served as an entrance from the north. “Maybe it was an entrance point [to the arc],” he suggested.

X-Heritage (X Heritage)

Endacott, now 66, has been searching for stone circles on Dartmoor since the 1970s and believes other undiscovered sites may complete the ring. “These excavations exceeded my expectations and brought new evidence to light that will help with our understanding, but inevitably they have also raised more questions about why they were built. There are definitely other sites that I want to follow up on. We won’t be stopping any time soon,” he said.

Geolocation: 50.63118171831715, -3.931334549270327
Photo Credits:
Alan Endacott